For any
proposed development project within the City of Calabasas, the
Planning Division conducts the first stage of review of that
project’s compatibility with the Calabasas
Municipal Code. Consequently, all development
project applicants shall contact the Planning Division first to
determine which planning application forms will need to be
completed as part of the submittal requirements.

* On June 13,
2012. the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2012-1333 which
increased the Planning Division's application fees. This was the
first time since incorporation that the fees for planning
applications have been increased. The new fees go into effect on
Monday, August 13, 2012.

General Land
Use & Development Application
Required for all project
applications.
Please note that original signatures from the applicant and
property owner are required at the time of submittal. Copies
and faxes will not be accepted.

Note to solar panel applicants:
Planning permits are not required for roof top solar panel
system that produce less than 10 kW(DC). Please contact
Building and Safety for Building Permit requirements for these
system. A Zoning Clearance is required for all other
types.

Please click
here
for the latest projects, plans and reports in the City of
Calabasas.

Temporary
Use Permits – Special Events

Special events bring added
festivity to our commercial areas and gathering places. While
special events are valuable opportunities for the businesses,
charities, and entities hosting them, it is the City’s role to
ensure that these functions do not pose a threat to public
health and safety. Therefore, anyone wishing to host or organize
a special event in the City is required to apply for a Temporary
Use Permit (TUP).

TUP’s require the review of the
Development Review Committee (DRC) prior to permit issuance. A
TUP application involves submittal of a completed
General Land
Use & Development Application form, a
completed
Supplemental
Application form for Temporary Uses, and all
associated supplemental materials. The completed application is
routed to the DRC for review, and feedback from the DRC is then
provided to the project planner, who must notify the applicant
of any additional information that may be required. Once the
application is deemed complete, a final decision is made by the
Community Development Director. Notice of the decision is mailed
to the applicant in the form of a decision letter, which may
communicate approval, modified or conditional approval, or
disapproval of the application.

Special event applicants seeking
a temporary use permit are asked to apply as early as possible,
to allow enough time to secure the necessary permit prior to the
event. The recommended timeframe for a TUP application
submittal is at least one month prior to the event date.
Applications received later than one month prior to the event
date may not be able to be processed in time for your event.
Also, please recognize that every event is different, with some
events offering a greater variety of activities and features
(with correspondingly greater complexity of issues and elements
for review). Accordingly, some TUP applications may require
additional information to be provided to ensure that public
health and safety are properly safeguarded.

Permit Streamlining Act

The Permit
Streamlining Act was enacted in 1977 and
requires public agencies (including charter cities) to follow
standardized time limits and procedures for specified types of
land use decisions. For the purposes of the Act, "development
projects" applies only to adjudicatory (discretionary) approvals
such as tentative maps, conditional use permits, and variances.
Ministerial projects such as building permits, lot line
adjustments, and certificates of compliance are not subject to
the time limits established under the Act.

The Permit Streamlining Act is
reminiscent of a flashing light. It turns on when an application
is submitted, off when accepted as complete and the
environmental review (CEQA) process begins, and on again after
the CEQA determination has been made.

Require approval via a public
hearing from at least one of the City’s review bodies (see Planning Review Bodies section below).

Public hearings allow the
applicant, and any members of the public interested in the
proposed project, the opportunity to support or contest the
project. These projects can then be approved, denied, or
approved with conditions. The deci­sion can be appealed within
10 business days after director or commission action.

An example of a discretionary
permit is a conditional use permit.

Ministerial (Non-Discretionary)
Permits

Ministerial permits do not require
a public hearing, and are instead issued internally by the
Community Development Department.

Ministerial permits are granted if
a project meets all established standards set forth in the
Development Code (Title 17). However, these permits will be
denied if all statutes cannot be met.

[For more detailed
information on the roles of the different review bodies, please
refer to the Calabasas Municipal Code]

City Council

The
City Council is composed of
five members elected at large on a non-partisan basis to serve
four year overlapping terms. The Council is the legislative
policy-making branch of City government. With regards to
planning-related matters, it is the Council's responsibility to
enact ordinances, resolutions and major plan amendments. In
addition, City Council also appoints members of the Planning
Commission, and approves tract maps.

Planning Commission

The
Planning Commission consists
of six residents of the City of Calabasas (five regular members
and one alternate member) whose members are appointed by the
City Council for a term of 2 years. The Planning Commission is
the decision making body for most types of discretionary
projects, and is a required entity under Section 65100 of
California State Law.

Community Development Director

Under the City’s Development Code,
smaller projects such as residential additions of less than 500
square feet, and the construction of small structures in
designated scenic corridors in the City, are reviewed at a
public hearing where the
Community Development Director serves
as the hearing officer.

Development Review Committee

The
Development Review Committee
is comprised of representatives from other City departments
involved in the building process, as well as other public
agencies having jurisdictional authority over development
projects in the City. The purpose of the group is to provide
applicants with review comments and coordinate responses when
there are overlapping jurisdictional requirements required of
applicants.

Architectural Review Panel

The panel is composed of a
volunteer group of design, construction and real estate
professionals who make advisory recommendations to the planning
commission regarding the architectural design of buildings,
landscape plans and other site features. Members are appointed
by the Planning Commission.

Historic Preservation
Commission

The
Historic
Preservation Commission consists of five
residents of the City of Calabasas who are appointed by the City
Council for a term of 2 years and an ex-officio non-voting
member who is a member of the Calabasas Historical Society. The
members review shall evaluate each application for landmark,
landscape or district nomination, in accordance with the
criteria established in Section 17.36.050, at a public hearing,
and shall decide by majority vote whether to approve any
nomination and forward it to the council with a recommendation
for historic designation.